My son has been provided with some homework by his english teacher.

Now bearing in mind he is 11yrs old and in high school. I think the poem to work from was disgusting!!

I am just waiting for a callback from the Head of the School now.

Tell me what you think...!!!




The theme for today is violence

and homework will be set

I'm going to teach you a lesson

One that you'll never forget."

Chaos ruled ok in the classroom

As bravely the teacher walked in

The nooligans ignored him

His voice was lost in the din

"Please may I leave the room sir?"

a trembling vandal enquired

"Of course you may" said teacher

put a gun to his temple and fired




The first blast cleared the backrow

(where those who skive hang out)

they collapsed like rubber dinghies

when the plug's pulled out




The teacher surveyed the carnage

the dying and the dead

he wagged a finger severely

"Now let that be a lesson" he said






Then sword in hand he hacked his way

between the chattering rows

"First come, first severed" he declared

"fingers. feet, or toes"




He picked on a boy who was shouting

and throttled him then and there

then garrotted the girl behind him

(the one with the grotty hair)



He threw a sword at a latecomer

it struck with deadly aim

then pulling out a shotgun

he continued with his game



The Head popped a head round the doorway

to see why a din was being made

nodded understandingly

then tossed in a grenade



And when the ammo was well spent

with blood on every chair

silence shuffled forward

with its hands up in the air

You have a son too???

What's the assignment?

Not that it matters too much. That's a pretty inappropriate poem to hand out to 11 year olds in school.

But I would like to know more about what else they have been doing.

You're right to be concerened.

Uhm...

I am very curious to find out what the Head of the School has to say.

jeremyfaulkner said:

As am I. What an interesting piece of "poetry".

Apparently the homework was to reverse the situation and wirte a poem whereas the kids attack the teachers!!!??

The poem was written by a Liverpudlian - Roger McGough and managed to find another poem by him, quite xenophobic...

I like a good poem
one with lots of fighting
in it. Blood, and the
clanging of armour. Poems

against Scotland are good,
and poems that defeat
the French with crossbows.
I don't like poems that

aren't about anything.
Sonnets are wet and
a waste of time.
Also poems that don't

know how to rhyme.
If I was a poem
I'd play football and
get picked for England.

I can see the poetry but this is absolutely not the kind of thing one should be handing out in a class of 11 year olds.

Let us know the response.

What is this teacher’s history?

Reminds me of Jeremy by Pearl Jam...

Natsume said:

Avatar!

undisputed69 said:

I really like his stuff - though I agree that the poem you mentioned might be a bit strong for 11 year olds. he has quite an odd way of writing - really ironic and poking fun at lots of things. this one is just poking fun at the 'nooligan' that is supposed to be the narrator - he hates poems that don't rhyme but starts with "I like good a good poem/one with lots of fighting/in it.".

2the9s said:

Natsume said:

Threadjackers R US

REDFEATHERS said:

yeah he's my stepson...Jamie

Ah! Roger McGough.

He's my favourite living poet.

He writes for both adults and children and has hundreds and hundreds of poems that would be more appropriate to a class of 11 year olds. One wonders why the teacher chose that particular one. It's probably one of his most violent.

Maybe the teacher feels that 11 year olds are old enough to get the irony, sarcasm & tongue-in-cheekedness of this one?

If you feel it's inappropriate for your child I guess you should probably tell them not to do the excercise and have words with the teacher about it.

P.S. Xenophobic is one word I would definitely NOT choose when describing Roger McGough. The Scotland and France references are very much tongue-in-cheek and are a dig at typical English xenophobia, not his own.

THATS TRUE YOUR ABSOLUTLY RIGHT!

undisputed69 said:

You do have a lot of secrets!

REDFEATHERS said:

THATS TRUE YOUR ABSOLUTLY RIGHT!

REDFEATHERS said:

u mean I didn't tell you about the birth of Dylan 7th Oct???

undisputed69 said:

Who is Dylan?

REDFEATHERS said:

my other son!!